I hadn’t yet read the comic before watching season 1 of The Boys on Amazon Prime, but that didn’t stop me from loving it. Who hasn’t thought of a world where superheroes save the day? However have you really considered what giving a people – who can be cruel, petty, and self-absorbed – god-like powers? Just look at what happened when we elected a cruel, petty, racist narcissist POTUS.
I’m reading it now though, and while it’s different, I’m still loving it. If you’re so inclined you can find your own copy here – The Boys volume 1.
Fill disclosure here – I didn’t hate The Rise of Skywalker. I actually enjoyed it when I saw it in the theater. Yes, it had problems. Most of the complaints you hear on the internet are completely valid. There was one thing that really bugged me at the end though. Force Ghosts. Or rather the lack there of.
You can’t make this shit up. In Poe’s story, rich people led by Prince Prospero, decide to throw a masquerade party and lock themselves away from the peasants who are dying from plague. A mysterious guest shows up dressed as a Red Death figure. No spoilers, but you can guess how it ends.
People never change do they? I wonder if anyone on the guest list to the real party in the Hamptons in the video above had read this story or seen the Vincent Price movie, sensed the irony, and decided to skip it. Probably not knowing the arrogance of these type of people.
Illustration for “The Masque of the Red Death” by Harry Clarke, 1919
Hey something fun for a change. I pre-ordered this awhile back and nearly forgot about it. For me, Neil Gaiman is sort of a hit or miss writer. I don’t like everything by him, but I did enjoy Sandman when I read it back in the late 90s. I’m hoping this is going to be cool.
Hailed by the Los Angeles Times Magazine as “the greatest epic in the history of comic books”, The Sandman changed the game with its dark, literary world of fantasy and horror – creating a global, cultural phenomenon in the process. At long last, Audible and DC present the first-ever audio production of the New York Times best-selling series written by acclaimed storyteller Neil Gaiman (who also serves as co-executive producer). Adapted and directed by multi-award-winner (and frequent Gaiman collaborator) Dirk Maggs, and performed by an ensemble cast with James McAvoy (It, Parts One and Two, X-Men: First Class, Split) in the title role, this first installment of a multi-part original audio series will transport you to a world that re-writes the rules of audio entertainment the way that The Sandman originally re-defined the graphic novel.
When The Sandman, also known as Lord Morpheus – the immortal king of dreams, stories and the imagination – is pulled from his realm and imprisoned on Earth by a nefarious cult, he languishes for decades before finally escaping. Once free, he must retrieve the three “tools” that will restore his power and help him to rebuild his dominion, which has deteriorated in his absence. As the multi-threaded story unspools, The Sandman descends into Hell to confront Lucifer (Michael Sheen), chases rogue nightmares who have escaped his realm, and crosses paths with an array of characters from DC comic books, ancient myths, and real-world history, including: Inmates of Gotham City’s Arkham Asylum, Doctor Destiny, the muse Calliope, the three Fates, William Shakespeare (Arthur Darvill), and many more.
A powerhouse supporting cast helps translate this masterwork into a sonic experience worthy of its legacy, including Riz Ahmed, Kat Dennings, Taron Egerton, Samantha Morton, Bebe Neuwirth, Andy Serkis, and more. Setting the stage for their performance is an unprecedented cinematic soundscape featuring an original musical score by British Academy Award winner James Hannigan. Fans will especially revel in a new twist for the audio adaptation: Neil Gaiman himself serves as the narrator. Follow him as he leads listeners along a winding path of myths, imagination and, often, terror. Even in your wildest dreams, you’ve never heard anything like this.
The biggest frustration for those of us dealing with wearing masks and doing social distancing is all the idiots who aren’t. They’re causing this to go on longer than it has to, and their choice to do all the wrong things – no masks, Covid parties going to bars, etc – has a body count attached to it. While I’m pretty sick of people doing things like this and continually making it about politics this video pretty well lays out why people can’t wrap their heads around the abstract idea of the COVID-19 threat. We’re all going to suffer longer for it.
